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Today’s post is my last entry of images from Silver Salmon Creek Lodge in Alaska. It will be back to Arizona beginning tomorrow.
I end this series with images of a Bald Eagle that I photographed on our final morning in Alaska. We encountered the eagle calmly perching on a driftwood log, just above the tideline of the Cook Inlet.
I believe that there are three critical elements that determine the quality of an image: subject, setting, and lighting. Here, all three work well in my opinion. The eagle is a magnificent subject, noble in appearance. The setting is beautiful, with the driftwood adding to the attractiveness of the scene. As for the lighting, I couldn’t have asked for more. It was about 6:30 in the morning when I made these images and the low sun was shining through a very light fog. It made for soft light with a beautiful warm glow.
I’m amused by the fact that I traveled from Arizona to Alaska in order to photograph bears, came back with hundreds of images of these animals, including some that I love, and yet, these eagle images are among my favorites from the trip.
Images made with a Canon R5, Canon RF 100-500mm f4.5-7.1 IS L zoom lens, M setting (auto ISO), ISO 1000, f7.1 @ 1/640, -1/3 stop exposure compensation.
Sonoran Images 
Steve, those are some of the most magnificent photos of bald eagles I have ever seen. Your talent and keen eye for photography are so amazing! I really loved these photos
They are lovely images – almost like a painting. I can see why you love them.
So artistic – yet I enjoyed how you analyzed the elements that came into play in creating the magic!
Very nice series of Bald Eagle images! Enjoyed seeing them!